David Lee Moritz, 91 years young, left this world on Friday, July 3rd, 2026 in his birthplace of Portsmouth, Ohio. Despite leaving the world at such a “young” age, he left it a much better place than it was when he got here on August 6th, 1934. He thrived on interactions with others and went out of his way to make friends with everyone he met.
David, known to most as Dave, Mr. Moritz, Dad, Papaw, Gramps, and a variety of other nicknames he earned over his years, was a 1952 graduate of Portsmouth High School and received three college degrees, with the highest honors being a Master of Education from Ohio University. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mary Alice Kisor Moritz in 1973 and Edwin Louis Moritz in 2005, his older brother Eddie Moritz in 1996, and his younger sister Barbie Ann Moritz in 2005.
Dave was a loyal Christian and a faithful member of Temple Baptist Church, where he served as deacon.
Dave was a retired teacher and principal. He was incredibly proud of all of the lives he changed over his 31 years of teaching and often told stories about moments, and students, that stuck out to him. In those 31 years, he taught at various schools in Scioto County, including Friendship, Portsmouth West High School, Rubyville and Clay High Schools. While at Rubyville, he also served as principal. If you were in school at any point before the year 1992, there is a decent chance you had him as a teacher.
Despite his incredible legacy as a teacher, the one thing that Dave was most proud of was his career in the Navy. Joining right out of high school in 1952, he was in active duty from 1956-1958 in the Mediterranean Sea. He then joined the Navy reserves, where he remained enlisted until 1990. In the Navy, he held the ranks of Yeoman Second Class and Boatswain’s Mate Third Class. If you knew Dave, then you already knew all about his Navy career because he absolutely told you hundreds of Navy stories.
Aside from his military and professional careers, Dave was a loving family man. He married his wife, Barbara Shupert Moritz, on June 16th, 1957 at the E&R Church in Portsmouth. They were married for 69 years and built a family that will carry on his legacy. Together, they had three children, four grandchildren, and one great grandchild, who all survive him.
In 1960, they welcomed their first son, David Lee Moritz II. He married his wife, Sandy, in 1991. They eventually found their way to the Baltimore, Maryland area, where they brought Dave’s three youngest grandchildren into the world – Danielle (Jake) Seay, Lindsey Moritz, and Michael Moritz. Despite living a few hundred miles away, the bond held tight, with visits and calls being a regular part of their routine. In 2021, Dave got the thrill of a lifetime when he became a great-grandfather to his granddaughter Danielle’s son, Kellan.
Their middle son, Donald (known simply as Don or Donnie) married his wife Kim in 1984 and stayed nearby, settling in Wheelersburg, Ohio. Don was a daily visitor of their home, eating lunch with them every single day on his lunch breaks. When his work took him out of town, he continued to be close with his parents and routinely cared for them and their home. Don participated in the 1st Ohio Light Artillery Battery L with his father, where they frequently traveled to take part in Civil War reenactments. He got his love of history from his dad!
Their youngest child, Deborah (known simply as Debbie) was welcomed in 1965. She and her husband, Todd, were married in 1993. Later that year, their only child, Dave’s first grandchild, Jordan (Allie) Hyland, was born. Debbie, as a nurse, became her dad’s caretaker at home as he transitioned to later life and remained incredibly close to him. Life also led Jordan to growing up in Dave and Barb’s home, where he established a tight-knit bond with both grandparents. While Jordan was in school, Dave was his driver to and from school. Later in life, the roles reversed, and Jordan became the driver of the duo.
Throughout the years, Dave had a handful of stories he loved telling other people. Several of those stories have been recorded and uploaded on YouTube to a channel dedicated to him and his wife, called Barb & Dave’s Life Stories. Whether you knew him or not, help his legacy live on by visiting the page and indulging in some of his stories.
Funeral services will be 11:00 AM Friday, July 10, 2026 at the Roger W. Davis Funeral Home in West Portsmouth. Interment will be in Scioto Burial Park with Military Rites presented by the James Dickey Post 23 American Legion. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5 to 8:00 PM on Thursday and one hour prior to the service on Friday. Condolences may be sent to www.rogerwdavisfuneralhome.com.
Flowers will be accepted. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dave’s honor to one of the following: Temple Baptist Church, Sierra’s Haven, STAR Workshop, or the Scioto County Veterans Service Office.
